What If We Could?
by Kakashi-Aisuryu
Summary: My first fic: What could happen if two lost souls happen to find each other? Would they actually do anything about it, or is it already too late? Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1: Crimson Snow

**A/N: This is my first ever fanfic so a) bear with me and b) PLEASE review! I know it sounds right in my head but if there's anything that doesn't read well, feel free to let me know since my head is a very strange place to be. :)**

**This is NOT going to be a one-shot but for some reason this hit me tonight and it begged to be written so...here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything to do with it. *sob***

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

He drew one shuddering breath, then another and another, wincing at the pain each one brought as he trudged slowly through the knee-deep snow. He mentally ran a checklist over his body, registering wounds, acknowledging damage...kunai wounds to his left leg in three places...two shuriken buried in his left shoulder and another three dotted down the left side of his back where he couldn't reach them...two, maybe three fractured ribs...wrenched right shoulder...wrist fractured in two places...senbon-inflicted puncture wounds on his right abdomen...multiple cuts and bruises all over...and the worst of all was the almost complete chakra depletion. He was stiff, sore, dizzy, really cold, wet and light-headed and he knew...he _knew _that he didn't have long left even though he was a long way from home.

But he pushed on...promising himself that a few more steps was all he needed, and then after that a few more, and a few more after that and so on. He passed between the silent trees, soft flakes falling gently all around him, cocooned in a landscape of white and grey. Tucking his cold hands into his armpits, he pulled his ragged cloak closer to his shoulders. As he pushed his masked face deeper into his collar, he tried in vain to pretend that he wasn't really leaving a trail of crimson behind him.

Well, not that it would matter...he'd managed to dispose of the last of his attackers a while ago; miles ago; so leaving a trail was the least of his worries. He'd left them, along with his backpack, his rations and most of his weapons after being ambushed on the way back. And in this weather, which was threatening to snow ever heavier, and in his condition, there was no way he'd be able to hunt or gather food or even make a fire. Not that he wanted to stop, exhausted though he was.

He closed his eyes, still unwilling to admit defeat, and carried on walking. One step, then another.

He just wanted to be home.

The wind picked up behind him, creating a flurry of snowflakes in his wake and eventually covering over the crimson trail and footprints he'd left behind him. At least Kami was showing some mercy today.

Reaching the end of the forest, he paused and placed a hand on the tree nearest to him. Leaning in slightly, his breath hitched through pain and he took a moment to blink the black spots from his eyes. The pain overtook him after a single deep breath, driving him to his knees in a wave of red-hot spikes. The jolt made him curse before he collapsed in a heap at the base of the tree. Lying on his front, blood oozing through his cloak, he took a shuddering breath and was still.

The snow drifted lazily down, a few flakes landing on skin, where dark lashes lay unmoving against pale cheeks above the line of his slightly torn mask and onto his uniquely silver-coloured hair.


	2. Chapter 2: Too Close For Comfort

**What If We Could? **

**Chapter 2: Too Close For Comfort**

**A/N: Again, this virtually wrote itself. Yes, I'm taking some liberties but nevermind that. Enjoy! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Dammit.**

Coasting through the trees, one of the team stopped and snapped his head to the right. The snow crunched under his feet as his weight shifted, throwing the two red fangs on his face into stark relief against the pale trees and white surroundings. The small white dog laying on his head barked as if in confirmation and he called out to his team-mates.

"Hey! Wait up! Me and Akamaru found something!"

Stopping almost instantaneously on the next branches they hit, the two turned to look intently at him. Both of them knew just how accurate their friend's noses were and didn't hesitate to pause, even though they were homeward bound after a tough mission.

"Friend or foe, Kiba?" stated the taller of the two flatly, his dark hair scraped back into a ponytail.

Sniffing deeper, Kiba growled, "it's a friend, I think. Seems familiar but I can't place it, and there's blood there too. A lot of it."

"Then let's go and check it out. If it's familiar, it can't be that bad. Right, Shikamaru? At least we've got medi-kits too so can patch them up a little too," said the third member, shooting a look at the team leader as she spoke. Tendrils of pink hair escaping from her drawn-up hood were teased by the cool breeze and Sakura deftly tucked them back inside.

Sighing loudly and rolling his eyes, Shikamaru nodded his agreement and they all headed off in the direction Kiba indicated, stepping up their pace although they were all tired.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Kiba lead the way, setting quite a fast pace that only seemed to increase the closer he got to the source of the scent. Shikamaru and Sakura followed close to his heels, periodically shooting glances at each other because if there was one thing Kiba didn't do, it was panic. Taking into account his occasional growl at the time it was taking or the string of swearwords he unleashed when the scent of blood got stronger, panicking was very close to what he was doing.

"Shit! Get a move on, you two!" he yelled, Akamaru echoing his cry with a yelp.

Hurtling through the trees, Kiba channelled chakra to his foot and pushed off the branch hard. Aiming for the snow-packed ground, he landed heavily and dashed forward, not waiting for his team-mates. Throwing his pack off, he dropped to his knees and frantically began pushing snow from the base of it. Landing behind him, neither Shikamaru or Sakura could see what he was doing but ran up in silence to help, the boy going to aid Kiba, Sakura grabbing the medi-kits from their packs on the way.

"Kakashi!" The girl didn't pause, taking in the pale cyanosed skin uncovered by Kiba's and Shikamaru's efforts, dropping to her knees beside his inert body. Shikamaru grabbed a blanket from his pack, helping Sakura turn him over and covering him temporarily. Akamaru buried under the blanket and lay snuggled close to Kakashi's neck, trying in his own way to help warm the Jounin up. Kiba snapped off small twigs from the surrounding trees, clearing the snow away from the frozen earth and within moments a fire was flickering weakly. Feeling for a pulse, Sakura's heart seemed to almost clench tight within her until she felt it...it was slightly erratic, weak, but at least it was there.

Sighing in relief, she glanced up to see three pairs of eyes watching her intently. Pushing her hood back, she nodded and said, "he's still alive, he's got a pulse. I'm not happy about moving him though, not without looking him over properly. Shikamaru?"

Giving a thoughtful hum and a glance towards the rapidly darkening sky, Shikamaru said, "it's getting late. We'll rest up here for the night, deal with his hypothermia and whatever else we can. It's still a day's run back home so we'll see if he's improved by then."

"My turn to cook tonight so let me make this fire a little bigger," Kiba commented, before standing. "Kakashi will need to get warmed up properly, at any rate, and we should be okay here." Flicking a glance at Kakashi he added, "I'll get some snow melted, that blood needs to be washed off because it's driving me nuts."

Tugging off the blanket and pulling the medi-kits closer, Shikamaru and Sakura bent over Kakashi to start treating him as best they could. It was going to be a long and painful night, for all of them.

I'd just like to say "thank you" to my three lovely reviewers, glad you liked it so far! :D

Ifulna, thanks a LOT for the input! I've already edited Chapter 1 to suit, so thanks for pointing it out to me. As for my not writing recently, the last story I wrote was when I was seven...and I'm now 33... * cough * Yeah, it's been a while.

Thanks Amethyst Skulkyrie Cain! I don't mind non-indepth reviews, just as long as someone actually reads it LOL...Let me guess...you're into Skulduggery Pleasant then? Awesome book series! :D

And to DarkAngelJudas, you can see someone did...I was going to have Iruka find him (can't help it, they're such an awesome couple lol) but I thought it was a bit too obvious. Plus I really couldn't kill off one of my favourite characters, I'm just not mean enough!


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